Color psychology is scientific research that has proven that the colors we wear affect our mood, stress, and actions.
Whether or not you watched this year's 93rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony, the carpet on arrival had just about everyone at their utmost self esteem to compete for the Best Dressed List.
The good news is you don't have to be wealthy or famous to make a splash this Spring and Summer if you have plans to step into your spotlight.
You can use color psychology when selecting your outfits to either communicate your current mood or to change your mood.
Pink, whether you are male or female sex, can help to indicate happiness, compassion, and the willingness to be playful.
The courage to wear pink indicates that you are not so uptight that you take yourself to seriously.
Color psychology also influences how others react to you. For years red was my favorite color. I stuck to red hair and I had a lot of red in my closet.
Red is perfect to wear to communicate zest and energy. It is a color that is often recommended for women to wear on dates (thus Valentine's Day and Christmas) and is often worn by athletic men while showcasing competitiveness.
Many researchers suggest not wearing too much red to work as you may be seen as aggressive or tense but it doesn't mean you need to stay away from it entirely. You can mute it with other colors if you absolutely have to have it.
Deep shades of pink or purple can make you feel a sense of nobility, luxury, or ambition (entertainer Prince was on to something).
If you are having one of those days where you feel lost or insignificant in the world, find a purple power blazer or some purple shades to not only get people looking, but get you feeling the confidence to be seen.
Feeling like you've been broke longer than you like? Get a purple bag, watch, or wallet to start compelling the energy of wealth heading your way.
Yellow is one of those tricky colors that some of us love but has to be handled in doses. Much like the sun, it can get the day going but too much can blind you and make others believe you are a bit too unstable.
Yellow is often used to create perkiness, joy, and intellect. I often think of Elton John when I think of you clothing because he matched every trait that yellow represents.
Wear it proud but wear with caution.
If you aren't quite ready to commit to monochrome for your fit, it never hurts to place all that color against a white background.
White represents freshness, purity, and goodness (in Western countries). Most importantly, there isn't much of anything that you can't pair with it...
I have been wearing much more white since the pandemic started. It makes me feel like the day truly is a reset, a blank slate, and I can fill it however I want. Lately it has just been an "easy" color when I don't feel like thinking too much.
With swim season on the horizon, bright colors under water is always a smart idea for visibility in case of emergency or for simply attracting that someone you need to notice you.
If you usually shy away from color, experiment during the summer when most other people will be wearing it to the point that you might just attract some new friends.
Let's face it, everybody can't pull off orange on it's own. A lot of people I meet don't even like orange. However it has it's seasons when it's an 'it' color and against the right skintone it is sublime.
Basically you have to be pretty courageous to wear orange, which is one if the traits it represents. It also conveys success and friendliness. Orange is a lot like yellow in that if you don't pull it off the right way, you can convey carrot or pumpkin rather than in control.
Keep it simple. If you are a person that prefers black or black and white, a pop of color either on the top or the bottom is just as acceptable and can help squeeze you out of your comfort zone.
Black is a known power color. It also represents elegance, class, and formality. You want to do all black when you need to come across as authoritative or upscale but you can pick a print with black as the base color to seem more approachable.
Accessories are the simplest way to boost your mood if you have dress code restrictions or hang ups about stepping away from neutral colors.
Once you start getting used to those compliments coming to you about those cool earrings or that fabulous belt you picked, your curiosity to see how far you can go may be lighting up.
The one place you can almost always get away with color in your wardrobe is the shoes.
We have opportunities this spring and summer to do colored flip flops and sandals, sneakers, open-toed pumps, and so forth.
Colored shoes can be paired with an all-white, all-black, and even all-khaki outfits. You can match your shoes to any other accessory or to a top or bottom of your look. These days you can match your shoes to your mask!
All this being said, I highly recommend that you read up on color psychology just for the sake of testing it out on yourself the next time you have a job interview, a rough day, or plans to hang out.
Peek through your closet and take note of the colors you have been gravitating toward and whether or not you can identify positive or negative energy in your outlook on life.
There are still studies to be done but you can check out a few of these resources next: